Innovative ICT Solutions for the Societal Challenges Erasmus Project

Project Title

Innovative ICT Solutions for the Societal Challenges

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education

Project Summary

Fast proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICT) caused certain negative side effects for society (e.g., increased energy usage or CO2 emissions). However, “innovation in ICT” and especially “innovation with ICT” offer potential solutions for some of the biggest societal challenges (e.g., reports “Smart 2020” and “Smarter 2020” by Global e-Sustainability Initiative). These are reasons why it is of a significant importance that students understand how ICT can be utilized to tackle societal challenges. The INNOSOC (Innovative ICT Solutions for the Societal Challenges) project is step forward in that direction, taken by consortium of 13 universities from 10 EU countries. The majority of consortium partners previously collaborated through ESM (European Student Meeting) and SUSCOMTEC (Intercultural knowledge transfer in engineering for a sustainable global ICT community) projects.

The main objective of the INNOSOC project is to set up a transnational multidisciplinary intensive study program in the field of innovations based on information and communication technology targeting societal challenges defined by Europe 2020 and Horizon 2020 programs.

The INNOSOC curricula, which will be available as multilingual open educational resource (OER) as well, consist of four main topic groups:
– “Innovation” as a core topic;
– intercultural topics, with focus on “Multicultural teams”;
– ICT topics, with focus on “Innovative engineering based on ICT”;
– student projects, with focus on “Case studies on how ICT can contribute to innovative societal development”.

„Innovation“ as a core topic of the INNOSOC curricula follows multidisciplinary approach that includes innovation processes, intellectual property, as well as technology policy issues.

Intercultural part of curriculum uses interactive approach and focusses on multicultural teambuilding through exchange of practices from diverse cultures and by analysing societal challenges from local, regional and global perspectives.

ICT part explains why ICT is one of Key Enabling Technologies and therefore horizontal technology enabling innovative solutions for societal challenges. It includes practical examples tailored specifically for INNOSOC providing knowledge/insights into hot ICT topics – “innovation in ICT” and “innovation with ICT” (“green”, “smart”, “inclusive”, “disruptive”, …).

Student projects elaborate case studies related to the role of ICT in responding to societal challenges defined by Europe 2020 and Horizon 2020 programs:
– Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing;
– Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Marine, Maritime and Inland Water Research and the Bioeconomy;
– Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy;
– Smart, Green and Integrated Transport;
– Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials;
– Europe in a Changing World – Inclusive, Innovative and Reflective Societies; and
– Secure Societies – Protecting Freedom and Security of Europe and its Citizens.

Student projects will be based on the “blended” mobility approach and organized in two phases: (i) preparatory (virtual mobility); and (ii) execution phase (physical mobility). Physical mobility will be implemented through three two-week workshops hosted by partner universities in 2016 (Zagreb), 2017 (Leipzig) and 2018 (Valencia). Workshop participants will be professors (16 professors from 11 universities from 8 countries) and students (100 students from 11 universities from 8 countries) from partner universities.

Multilingual (on 8 EU languages) open course materials on innovation and entrepreneurship including case studies on how ICT can contribute to innovative societal development will be made free to access through the project web site. In that way INNOSOC project will have significant impact on national and EU level through serving on the long-term benefit of all citizens, academia and industry.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 203365 Eur

Project Coordinator

SVEUCILISTE U ZAGREBU FAKULTET ELEKTROTEHNIKE I RACUNARSTVA & Country: HR

Project Partners

• ZILINSKA UNIVERZITA V ZILINE
• DEBRECENI EGYETEM
• UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA
• UNIVERSITATEA DIN ORADEA
• VISHE UCHILISHTE PO TELEKOMUNIKATSI I POSHTI
• Hochschule für Telekommunikation Leipzig
• TECHNICKA UNIVERZITA V KOSICIACH